The Holy Guardian Angels

Memorial, October 2

The Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels, celebrated on October 2nd, honours the angels whom God assigns to each human person as a protector and guide from the moment of birth or, according to some theologians, from the moment of conception. The doctrine of guardian angels is among the most ancient and most widely held beliefs in Catholic tradition, rooted in Scripture, articulated by the Fathers, and reflected in the liturgical and devotional life of the Church in every century.

The scriptural basis for guardian angels is found in several passages. In the Book of Exodus God promises to send an angel before Israel to guard them on the way and to bring them to the Promised Land. The Psalmist sings that God has given His angels charge over the just, to guard them in all their ways, lest they dash their foot against a stone. The Book of Tobit presents the Archangel Raphael serving as the guardian and companion of young Tobias on his journey. In the New Testament, Jesus warns against despising little ones, for their angels always behold the face of the Father in heaven, one of the clearest scriptural affirmations of guardian angels.

The Fathers of the Church developed this doctrine extensively. Saint Basil the Great wrote that each of the faithful has an angel assigned to guard and direct his life. Saint Jerome said that the dignity of the soul is great, since each one has from birth an angel deputed to guard it. Saint Thomas Aquinas devoted several questions of the Summa Theologiae to the nature and ministry of guardian angels, treating them as God's instruments for the care of individual human persons.

The Church encourages the faithful to maintain a conscious relationship with their guardian angel, invoking his protection, accepting his guidance, and following his inspirations toward good. The ancient prayer Angel of God, my guardian dear is one of the first prayers taught to Catholic children and is a beautiful summary of the Church's teaching on this doctrine. The feast was extended to the universal Church by Pope Clement X in 1670.